Follower for filing-cabinet drawers



Dec. 3, 1929. A. BURGER FOLLOWER FOR FILING CABINET DRAWERS Filed March 7, 1,929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z3INVENTOR Lwer- BY y ATTORNEY Filed March 7, 1929 2 sheets-sheet INVENTOR Jur er BY g WITNESSES ATTORNEY .talented a, Wild drlitTEd PATENT @lilltllt ALEXANDER BURGER, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y,

FULLOW'EE FOR FIlLlNiE-VCABINET DRAWERS Application tiled March 7,

\ spaced keepers, together with a follower' having' detent means adapted to engage with said keeper means to leclz the follower against movement in one direction while permitting` a slightly retarded movement of the follower in the opposite direction.

More specifically, the invention contemplates detent means consisting` of an inverted ll-shaped member carried and guided by the follower which is formed with beveled ei;- trcmities at the free lower ends of its legs enpgapgeable with the `keepers in the manner of a ratchet, together with means engaging the bight portion of said member for urging' the same in a direction to engage the beveled terminals with the keepers and for tensioning the same against opposite movement.

EOther features of the invention reside in the comparativesimplicity of construction and mode of operation of the detent means and the construction of the follower for accominodating` the same, the economy with which the same may be produced and the general eiliciency derived therefrom.

ltith the above recited and other objects in view, reference is had to the following` description and accoinpanyingl drawings, in which there is enhibited one example or embodiment of the invention, while the claims deline the actual scope of the same.

ln the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a tiling,l cabinet drawer equipped with a follower constructed in accordance with the invention.

liipgure 2 is a side view of the drawer with parts broken away and shown in section to disclose the underlying structure.

llipgure 8 is a transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale taken approximately on the lne indicated at 3 3 in Figure EZ.

.ture l a :fragment-ai .tional pere 1955). Serial Ilo. 345,113.

spective view illustrating the detent engaged with the keeper means.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the drawer, which is preferably of sheet metal construction, includes a bottom wall 5, uiflstanding marginal side walls 6, a front wall i' and a rear wall El. The bottom wall i is formed with a plurality of longitudinally spaced keepers 9 on its upper surface, which are preferably defined by a transversely spaced pair of longitudinally disposed strips 10, which strips are provided -w th the keeper apertures 9. llt is, of course, understood that the keepers 9 may be formed in any other equivalent manner. The side walls 6 are provided with longitudinally extending outwardly offsetportions 11 adjacent their upper edges definingr horizontal shoulders 12 and the odset portions 11 have attached thereto strips 13 formed with in,- wardly extending` flanges 'le and a depending1 bead 15 at the free edge of said flanges. llhe strips 13 entend from the front wall 7 rearwardly to a point spaced from the rear wall 8 for a purpose which will hereafter appear.

The follower consists of a plate or sheet of material 16 which approximates the cross sectional area of the drawer and which has secured thereto angle members 17, the rightangularly disposed terminals 18 of which eX- tend beyond the side edges of the follower and are received within the grooves 19 which are defined by the offset portions 11 and the strips 13 so as to guide the follower within the drawer. rl`he spacing of the rear ends of the strips 13 from the rear wall affords the necessary room for insertingthe follower in the drawer or removing1 the same therefrom, thus tacilitating` the assembly. In order to accommodate the detent means, the upper edge of the follower is bentrearwardly or othen wise formed with a rearwardly extending flange 20 and with a downturned extremity 21 which is disposed in spaced parallel rela tion to the upper portion of the main area of the follower, the extremity 21 being; centrally notched outer cut away as at 22 `for a purpose which will be hereafter set fo. j The .side .Fi ci the :tollf-:fwer l@ are? d y lli@ or otherwise provided with tubular bearings 23 which extend from the lower edge to a Y point spaced slightly below the lower edge of the extremity 21. The detent means consists of an inverted U-shaped member, preferably inthe nature of a rod which presents a pair ofkparallel legs 24 joined at the upper end bybight 25. The legs 24 are arranged for sliding movement in the tubular bearings 23 while a bowed spring 2Gis interposed between the bight 25 and the flange 20 for normally projecting the detent member downwardly and for tensioning the same against upward movement. In order to prevent possible lateral displacement of the spring and at the same time to reinforce the extremity 21 and the flange 20, blocks 2.7'are arranged between the extremity 2l and the follower plate I6 against theopposite side edges. The lower free ends ofthe legs 24 are beveled as at 28 to permit the detent means to ratchet over the keepers 9 when the follower is forced forwardly toward the front wall 7 of the drawer. However, the beveled lower ends 2S ofthe arms 24 function to positively lock and prevent rearward movement of the follower exceptwhen the -detent member is positively pressed upwardly against the action of the Spring 26. This may be accomplished by grasping the top -of the follower and exerting yan upward pressure with the tips of the fin- Vgers,'the notched or cut-away portion 22 affording sufficient clearance space therefor.

What is claimed is :Y

1. In a filing cabinet drawer, means providing longitudinally spaced keepers and a follower mounted in the drawerfor guided movement and having detent means adapted to engage with said keeper means to lock the follower against movement in one direction, said detent means consisting of an inverted U-shaped member carried and guided by the followerj and having beveled extremities at the free lower ends of the legs.

.y 2. In a Vfiling cabinet drawer, means pro- Vviding,longitudinally spaced keepers and a follower mounted in the drawer for guided movement and having detent means adapted to engage with said keeper means to lock the follower against 4.movement in one direction,

said rdetent means consisting of an inverted U-shaped menibercairied and guided by the follower and having beveled extremities at the free lower ends of the legs and means engaging the bight portion of said member for urging the same in a direction to engage the beveled lterminals with the keeper and for tensioning the same against opposite movement.

3. In a filing cabinet 'drawer-having providing transversely spaced longitudinal rows vof keepers on the bottom wall, a follower meunted transversely in the drawer for guided longitudinal movement having vertical tubular bearings adjacent the opposite side edges and provided with a channel shaped guide at its upper edge, detent means consisting of an inverted U-shaped member including side legs slidable in the guide and a bight portion adjoining the upper ends of the legs slidable in the channel shaped guide and resilient means within the channel shaped guide engageable with said bight for urging the dctent means in a direction to normally engage the free ends of the legs with the keepers.

ll. In a filing cabinet drawer having means providing transversely spaced longitudinal rows of keepers on the bottom wall, a follower mounted transversely in the drawer i'or guided longitudinal movement having vertical tubular bearings adjacent the opposite side edges and provided with a channel shaped guide at its upper edge opening downwardly and provided with an upwardly extending medial notch, detent means consisting of an inverted U-shaped member including a bight slidable in the channel shaped guide and depending legs slidable in the tubular bearings and a spring interposed bctween said bight and the upper closed end of the channel shaped guide for normally projecting the "Ll-shaped member downwardto engage the free lower ends of the side legs within the keepers.

5. In a filing cabinet drawer having means providing transversely spaced longitudinal rows of keepers on the bottom wall, a fol-A lower mounted transversely in the drawer for guided longitudinal movement having vertical tubular bearings adjacent the opposite side edges and provided with a channelshaped guide at its upper edge opening downwardly and provided with an upwardly extending medial notch, detent means consisting of an inverted U-shaped member including a bight slidable in the channelshaped guide and depending legs slidable in the tubular bearings and a spring interposed between said bight and the upper closed end of the channel-shaped guide for normally projecting the U-shaped member downwardly to engage the free lower ends of the side legswithin the keepers, said free lower ends of the legs being forwardly and upwardly beveled to permit of slightly retarded forward movement of the follower in the drawer and to lock the same against rearward movement in said drawer.

6. In a filing cabinet drawer including bottom, side, front and rear walls, the side walls having longitudinally extending channels formed adjacent the upper edges thereof, and means providing transversely spaced longitudinally extending rows of keepers on the bottom wall; a follower mounted transversely within the drawer for longitudinal movement including laterally proj ccting guide elements slidable in the channels, tubular bearings adjacent the side edges of the follower, a

rearwardly bent flange at the upper end of the follower having a downwardly bent eXtremity formed with a medial notch; and detent means consisting of an inverted U-shaped member including side legs slidable in the tubular bearings and a connecting bight at the upper end having` guided movement be. tween the flanged extremity and the follower and means disposed between the flange and the bight for urging the U-shaped member downwardly to eiect engagement of the free lower ends of the legs with the keepers.

7. In a ling cabinet drawer including bottom, side, liront and rear walls, the side l walls having longitudinally extending channels formed adjacent the upper edges thereo'll and means providing transversely spaced longitudinally extending rows of keepers on the bottom wall; a follower mounted trans` 2O versely within the drawer for longitudinal movement including laterally projecting guide elements slidable in the channels, tubular bearings adjacent the side edges of the follower, a. rearwardly bent iiange at the upper end ol the follower having a downwardly bent extremity formed with a medial notch; and detent means consisting of an inverted ltshaped member including side legs slidable in the tubular bearings and a con- 3U necting bight at the upper end having guided movement between the llanged extremity and the follower and means disposed between the lange and the bight for vurging the U-shaped member downwardly to effect engagement of er the free lower ends of they legs with the keepers, said free lower ends of the legs being upwardly and forwardly beveled to permit el a ratcheting action of the detent means when the follower is moved forwardly in the drawer and serving to positively lock the same against rearward movement.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of'New York this 5th day of March A. D. 19259.

ALnXANDER BURGER. 

